Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 123873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Murmurs rose from the crowd, warm, understanding.
He really could charm them all so easily.
One day, no matter what else happened…
Cillian was going to go far.
And Brendan couldn’t wait to see it happen.
“The thing is,” Cillian started again, “even if it was only pretend, Brendan made me feel so…so…secure. Safe. Wanted. And somehow it…it turned real for me, even though Brendan said that wasn’t possible. Said I couldn’t possibly see the man past the movie star, and my preconceived ideas of who he must be. But…”
His voice broke. And suddenly those pale, strangely colored eyes were on Brendan again, giving Brendan the weight of every word.
And, Brendan realized with a growing sense of amusement, wonder, and something bright and lovely and unnamed…
…completely upstaging him.
“I saw you, Brendan. I saw the sad way you smiled sometimes. I saw your frustration. Your passion. How easily you could be hurt, under that stoic façade. I saw your dedication to the art you love. Your kindness. Your gentleness. Your patience. Your heart.” Cillian offered a shaky smile. “Your fear.”
Brendan’s chest sucked inward.
“I saw a man who’s so afraid of people leaving him that he won’t let anyone have him,” Cillian said, the microphone barely picking up his whisper. “A man who makes the choice to be the first to run, so he won’t be the last to hurt. And that’s okay. Because I see you. I see you in all you infuriating, frustrating, hair-pulling, domineering, bossy—”
“…why do people always like to list my flaws like that?” Brendan muttered. “Why is this a thing?”
“—arrogant, inflexible ways. And I love you anyway. You. You and everything about the way you twist me inside out. Not the movie star. The man. The man I thought I could never live up to, when that man was just waiting for me to figure out who I wanted to be. And I know that now. I know. I’m not afraid anymore. I’m not afraid of anything.” Cillian’s smile widened, full of so much heart, his eyes nearly shimmering wetly. “But I won’t chase you. Not if running makes you feel safe. After the sense of safety you gave me…I won’t take yours away from you. But if you ever decide you want to run to something…” Cillian spread his arms. “I’m here. And I hope you’ll run to me, because there’s no one else for me but you. You’re such a fucking arsehole, Brendan Lau.” Once again Cillian’s voice broke, a choked thing rising up from his throat. “And I love you with all my goddamned heart.”
Silence fell for long seconds after that—before Cillian let out a rough gasp and turned to nearly flee from the stage.
While the entire audience rose up and began clapping uproariously, Cillian flung himself into Sophie’s arms, nearly disappearing against her. Brendan…Brendan just…sat there, stunned, frozen in the grip of a thousand wild-running emotions, but greatest among them was…was…
Hope.
He'd been prepared to beg, to promise, to say anything if only he could atone for the way he’d pushed Cillian away, hurt him, shut him out.
He’d never expected Cillian would be the one to reach for him first.
To say I see you…and I’m willing to fight for you.
“He just stole your bit, Brendan,” Drake said. “What’re you gonna do now?”
The presenter bounced back onto the stage, taking the mic, laughing. “Well, that was something. But I guess it’s a good thing we’ve got the award for Best Supporting Actor up next…because our winner is none other than the Prince of Romance himself—Brendan Lau. So Brendan…I think it’s safe to say we’re all waiting to see what you have to say.”
l
CILLIAN COULDN’T BELIEVE HE’D DONE that.
Stood up there and poured out this confession in front of the whole world. Given Brendan Lau his heart again, where so many people could watch it get crumbled to pieces. He hid his face against Sophie’s hair, breathing shakily, his heart threatening to rip right out of him.
“I can’t look,” he whispered. “I can’t look, I can’t look…”
“You should look,” Sophie said gently. “Because he’s looking at you.”
Heart in his throat, Cillian dared to peek from the corner of his eye.
And found Brendan watching him from the podium, those deep brown eyes looking at him as if Brendan could see no one else.
He looked…so handsome. His tuxedo sitting perfectly on his tall frame, his hair swept to one side, that single white streak shining bright, those full, arrogant lips curved in a gentle smile, the harshness of angry brows softened. He looked at Cillian like…like…
Like he cared.
And Cillian’s trembling heart wanted so much to believe it was real, this time.
Brendan’s lips curled upward more as he held Cillian’s eyes for a moment longer, then turned to the crowd.
“So. This is my first award for Best Supporting Actor…but I have to say it’s the one I’m most proud of—because it came from being able to support and uplift others,” Brendan said, his smooth, deep voice rolling so clearly over the waiting spectators. He gave the statue in his hand a long look, then set it down on the podium. “You’ve probably never seen me in anything but a leading role. Romances, mostly. So most of you know: in any romance, there’s a thing called the grand gesture. It’s when the fuckup character who runs away from love—sorry to the bleepers out there, I’m going to curse a lot on live network TV.” He cleared his throat. “Ahem. So there’s a fuckup who runs from love. And when that character’s fuckups drive away the person he loves after they give their heart again and again…that’s when the fuckup realizes his own feelings. And he always has to save the day with an eleventh hour Hail Mary play in the hopes of proving his love, earning forgiveness, and winning his beloved back to have their happily ever after. That’s the grand gesture. The moment when everything the film led up to comes to fruition, and leaves audiences with their hearts melting. And that impudent little bastard…” He cocked his head toward Cillian, grinning wryly. “…just stole my grand gesture.”